‘AGT’ Shakeup: Simon Cowell Health Update After Surgery Forces Him Off Show

Martin HolmesMon, August 24, 2026 at 11:42 AM UTC

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Simon Cowell - Trae Patton/NBC via Getty Images

America’s Got Talent will undergo a shakeup over the next couple of weeks as Simon Cowell temporarily steps away from the judges’ table due to health reasons.

According to TMZ, Cowell is scheduled to undergo a routine procedure related to his back. Sources told the outlet that the surgery will force the record exec to miss several weeks of the NBC competition show while he recovers.

Cowell has had back issues since he came off his electric bike at his home in Malibu, California, in August 2020. He broke his back in the crash and underwent a six-hour operation, which included having metal rods and screws inserted. The accident almost left him paralyzed.

“When I saw the X-ray, I really nearly could have smashed my spine to pieces, so I literally wouldn’t have been able to walk. I knew I’d broken my back the minute I landed… it was really, really kind of sudden and it hurt,” the former American Idol judge told Extra in 2021.

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Speaking to OK! in 2022, Cowell admitted that he was “lucky to survive” his surgery. “I didn’t talk about it too much at the time. I kept a lot back,” he added. “It was a lot worse than people thought. I had a lot of long-term nerve damage as well. Then, a year later, I fell off (another) bike – and that set me back again.”

It remains unclear who, if anyone, will step in for Cowell on America’s Got Talent during his absence. The judging panel currently includes Sofía Vergara, Mel B, and Howie Mandel. Former judges include Brandy Norwood, Piers Morgan, Heidi Klum, Howard Stern, David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne, Gabrielle Union, and Julianne Hough.

The long-running talent show is currently airing its 21st season, which kicked off on June 2. During the auditions, Cowell used his Golden Buzzers on 14-year-old singer Lai Noelle and 20-something parkour athlete Rubén Roldán Bustos.

America’s Got Talent, Season 21, Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 8/7c, NBC

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”